Total steal, our biggest loss was Erixson and there is a chance he wouldn't even play for us at the start of the year. Losing Dubi is no big deal, he is average at best, Anisimov is solid and can grow but Nash is a much better replacement, Erixson would be a 3rd line Dman for us at best this year, but I am fine with just Stralman and Bickel as our 3rd D-line.

I'm one of the rare who believe Nash to be quite overrated, but even I will say it's a damn good deal for the Rangers. I hope they create a super-skilled line with him, Gaborik and either Stepan or Richards.

I knew Howson wasn’t going to get the exorbitant package that he was demanding, but his game plan at each step of this process has backfired. When Kreider, Stepan, McDonagh, and Del Zotto weren’t made available at the deadline, he stuck to his guns and insisted that the price was going to be steep because he wasn’t required to trade Nash. Well, in the past five months, the Jackets’ desperation level has gone up and the Rangers have been stubborn about including their blue-chippers, so Howson caved and came down from his ledge.

The timing just doesn’t make sense to me though. What is the reason, after holding out for months, for trading Nash right now? I understand it from New York’s perspective, as a counter to Philadelphia offering Weber, but I don’t from Columbus. Their last hope for receiving the blockbuster package that management wanted was luring a desperate team to the table. Doan and Semin are free agents. Ryan is still being dangled on the trade block. There were other viable options out there, so teams didn’t have to commit to putting together their best possible offers. If the Flyers add Weber and the Penguins sign Doan and another contender lands Ryan, for example, the Rangers find themselves in a tougher position to negotiate all of the sudden. Granted, I’m not suggesting that Howson would have gotten a better return if he waited. I’m just questioning his decision-making process. If the end game from the start was to wait it out and then leverage the remaining teams (or their situations) against each other for a maximized return, what is the exact reason for abandoning it now?

As for the deal itself, while I don’t think it is great value for Nash, I don’t hate the two individual pieces either. Doobie is a hard-working grinder and a great locker room presence. With such an impressionable club, I hope he assumes a leadership role and the kids emulate some of his qualities. It isn’t the most talented group around, but I feel confident that Prospal, Umberger, Aucoin, and now Doobie can be capable, respectable models for the pipeline. Anisimov intrigues me. The Jackets need bodies down the middle bad and I’ve seen some signs of promise from him. I don’t think he’s special, but he’s an NHL centerman with some raw talent and, at this point, that’s something for Columbus. I would be surprised if Erixon ever wear a Blue Jacket sweater. He pouted himself out of the Flames organization, was dealt to his dream franchise, and now has been flipped to…Columbus. Yeah, he’s going to be bitter. Wouldn’t surprise me one bit to see him announce his return to the SEL in the coming weeks. And the first-rounder will be a late one, but all of the picks help in the rebuild. Like I said, not thrilled about it, but it is what it is. I would like to know what Detroit offered now. Division rival or not, if their package was a clear upgrade over Doobie and Anisimov, I would’ve at least considered making that deal. Howson wanted no part of it though.

I wish Nash the best of luck. Sucks to see the lone homegrown star leave, but I’m glad he’s got a chance to compete for the Cup. I expect Tortorella to make him a two-way monster. During Hitchcock’s tenure with Columbus, Nash was becoming a disciplined defensive player and a dependable penalty killer. If Tortorella can tap back into that, the Rangers have themselves an excellent cornerstone. Because with consistent, quality service in New York, I think he could re-establish himself as a premier scoring threat.

Will also be interested to see how Columbus welcomes him back for All-Star Weekend if he makes the team.

He is, yes. Erixon is the biggest question mark in the deal, for me. A lot hinges on what he does/wants to do. Dubinsky can get to 60 if forced into a top-line role, but so can a lot of players. He has a well-rounded game and is a valuable piece, still. Him and Anisimov kind of muddle into a mass of players who shouldn't be on a top line, creating a generally uninspiring group of forwards in Columbus. Kind of like Florida last year, but without the coaching/goaltending/prospect pool.

Let's quell the Nash is overrated talk until we see him play with another top line player for the first time in his career.. you kinda sorta need the puck passed to you if you are going to score 50+

Not saying he will score 50+, but he definitely has the talent to do so and now will have a much better team around him.

__________________
"Compadres, it is imperative that we crush the freedom fighters before the start of the rainy season. And remember, a shiny new donkey for whomever brings me the head of Colonel Montoya."

Yea Nash is probably my favorite player and I'm sad to see him go but it was probably for the best. Sure we could've/should've probably gotten more in return but its not a bad haul at all IMO. I think he will do big things for NYR and I wish him all the best going forward.

Yeah, I wouldn’t call Nash overrated per se. It’s not like he gets heaps of praise piled upon him from media outlets at each chance, at least not that I’ve seen. His sizeable cap hit might suggest he’s top five or so, sure, but Columbus had to dole out a large contract to get him to commit long-term. Even still, he’s been a productive goal-scorer and he’s never had an adequate supporting cast. In Vancouver, he was magic alongside Toews and Richards. With Nash, a team is getting a winger with a supreme blend of size, strength, speed, and skill to add to their top six. He needs to correct certain things, and I think Tortorella can get him there, but he’s more than capable of bolstering the Blueshirts’ offense. He netted 40 goals in Columbus twice and hasn’t fallen below 30 since ’06-’07 and he’s done it with a good shot percentage, too.

As for Weber, I’m a little surprised that Nashville matched. I figured the longer it dragged on, the less chance the Predators ponied up. We’ll see how Poile goes about reloading now and how long Weber is content there. If Weber does want to force himself out of Nashville at some point though, it would ignite an absolute bidding war. A top defenseman entering the prime of his career locked up on a long-term deal where he will earn almost a quarter of his total contract dollars in the first season? Oh, and he doesn’t have a no-movement clause to block wherever he goes? Can’t wait to see what kind of package that would take.

I don't mean to hate on Nash. I may say he is somewhat overrated, but that doesn't mean his floor is any lower than somebody like Thomas Vanek, and I won't deny that Nash will give you a good amount more grit than somebody like that.

I don't mean to hate on Nash. I may say he is somewhat overrated, but that doesn't mean his floor is any lower than somebody like Thomas Vanek, and I won't deny that Nash will give you a good amount more grit than somebody like that.

In that case, we’re in agreement on all points then. I think Nash and Vanek are on that same tier of forwards who aren’t superstars, but are still ultra-valuable contributors and natural scoring wingers for the team that ices them. I just wasn’t sure of either’s general media perception, to be honest.

Ignoring the return, I’m glad Nash wound up in New York. I think it’s such a good fit for him. Tortorella has the defensive pedigree to maximize Nash in that department and the Rangers need someone to lean on for goals with Gaborik slated to miss the start of the season, barring an extended lockout. It will be curious to see where he settles in because New York can be so flexible with their line combinations. A Nash-Richards-Gaborik line would be explosive and fun to watch, but I also am intrigued with Stepan centering a line with Nash and Callahan on his wings and then perhaps testing Kreider on the left of Richards and Gaborik. Regardless of where he ends up, I think he can find comfort and success. We’ll see who jells with whom when the puck drops.

In other news, Tim Erixon has been posting disappointed status updates on Facebook. Even threw up the “Crawling In The Dark” video from Hoobastank. And so it begins.